


Eel Monsters And How to Kill Them: A Demigod's Manual

by KilotheMonster



Series: Kanapu: Storm Eel of the East [3]
Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst and Feels, Blood and Violence, Epic Battles, Gen, Original Character Death(s), Original Character-centric, Physical Abuse, Post-Canon, Reconciliation, The Power of Love and Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 00:03:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10605102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilotheMonster/pseuds/KilotheMonster
Summary: A great, terrible monster of fire and hate leaves nothing but ashes in their wake, both in Lalotai and the mortal world and the time has come for monsters and demigods alike to take a stand against the evil blight once and for all. Can Tamatoa and Maui put their bitter past aside long enough to save the ones they want to protect? Probably not. But it's always worth trying when lives are at stake.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Character references (since I fail at thorough character descriptions):
> 
> Kanapu & Ta'alili: https://68.media.tumblr.com/ac31b7b7490f465a7efdbe1d8c6bfb83/tumblr_okogixCnE71w3xo5eo1_540.png  
> Ahi: https://68.media.tumblr.com/ba7c776dba73b442655d75631eac07c6/tumblr_okq48p3gRB1w3xo5eo1_540.png  
> Remuroa: https://68.media.tumblr.com/89e89023f9ad04decb52fb354d7cb44d/tumblr_omaxg1kmBb1w3xo5eo2_540.png
> 
> Also, would now be a bad time to mention I'm one of those writers who will totally kill off characters for the sake of story? ...yeah.

It was unusually cold that day the great white eel of the north was slain.

At least, that's how Kanapu remembered it. Cold had been the dominion of which she reigned. Her heart, however, always had a muted warmth to it. They could have regarded Hau like a mother; a caring guardian, a wise teacher, and a strict disciplinarian. Though none of the eels had any blood relation to her or each other, she still accepted the responsibility that came with being the brood matriarch and wore it as a badge of pride.

 _We are more than mere monsters_ , she had told them. _You are what you make of yourself. You have that power and that is what the gods have given us on our time here._ At the time, none of them really understood what that meant. What more could they be other than monsters? Wasn't that what the gods made them for? To be monsters?

The dread eel of the south, Ahi, with a heart consumed in dark flames, simmered in hatred as they fended off scavengers from her gutted corpse left upon the icy plateau, one of the highest points of Lalotai beneath the deep, cold ocean and now the final resting place of their elder. Ahi’s thoughts came back to those words once spoken by the elder eel and at last found meaning to them.

“I will be a god!” Ahi proclaimed to the remaining great eels, Kanapu and Ta’alili, who sat together in quiet mourning around their elder’s corpse. The two looked at each other, their blue and gold flashing a puzzled glow as Ahi roared at the dark ocean above them. “A god of terror, death, and suffering! A blight upon the world that proclaimed demigod of the wind and sea has crafted for those worthless mortals! All will dread my fury and parish in my wrath until nothing remains!”

“That will not bring Hau back to us, Ahi,” Kanapu muttered, their tone heavy and morose. “If even she could not protect herself, what hope do you have against a demigod?”

Ahi’s yellow eyes flashed with fire and before Kanapu knew it, a gnash of teeth had come down on the back of their neck. They shrieked in pain as the larger eel threw them into the ground repeatedly. Ta’alili could only watch in silent fear as Ahi focused all of their fury on their companion. The struggle kicked up nearby dust and it took all but a few seconds for it to stop. Kanapu quivered in a ball in the dirt, defeated and alarmed.

“You pathetic worm,” Ahi hissed, their burning claws clenching Kanapu’s skin and pressing all of their weight down on the beaten eel. “That is why you will never be more than the sorry monster you are. The demigod has defeated you before you’ve even tried. Hau was killed because she was forgiving and merciful. I will never make the same mistake!”

Ahi let go of Kanapu, pushing their body aside in disgust. They were still reeling from the attack with the kind of shock that comes from when a trusted friend since larval stage turns their back on you. Kanapu glanced over at Hau’s corpse as if she could tell them why Ahi had done this. She always had the answers. But now, she only slept. At least it seemed peaceful, Kanapu thought. 

It was not until Ahi flew up into distance that Ta’alili felt it was safe enough to hover over to Kanapu’s side. 

“I’m sorry, Pu,” the gold eel whined, keeping their body close to their injured friend in an armless hug.

“I do not blame you, Lili,” Kanapu groaned as they lifted their body off the ground. “I would not forgive myself if you had been the target of their wrath in my stead.” They tried to brush off the burning wounds as if they were only scratches but Kanapu winced with every movement of their body. The lingering poison from Ahi’s skin made Kanapu’s body feel heavy and their senses impaired.

It would get easier with time as they grew older, but it always stung just as the first time did. They deserved this, Kanapu would tell themselves. It was their fault for questioning Ahi’s strength. The gods willed it so it would continue to be.

The painful memory of that day soon faded as the eel was roused from sleep by some very crabby company.

“I hate it when you have nightmares!” Tamatoa grumbled aloud, antennae still darting around and his glow glitching in the confusion that comes with a strong electric shock. There was even a bit of static lingering on the treasures that adorned his back once again. Despite reconciling his self-worth after his molt, Tamatoa would never have a better sense of taste. And now that he was somewhat larger, there was more space for more sparkle. Kanapu had become okay with that. Begrudgingly enough to where they helped him add to it.

“You know the risk when you decide to sleep in my den, Tamatoa,” Kanapu yawned as they stretched their legs in front of them before tucking them back under their body. The space was limited in their dark, rocky hole, so it was not as if the eel could accommodate any more room to prevent sleep shocks. “You only get a little of my sympathy as you are completely free to leave at any point.” Their long whiskers patted him on the top of his eyestalks, which made them retract back inward in annoyance.

“Don't act like you wouldn't miss me! Because you would!” Tamatoa poked the eel with his claw before settling himself back down next to them as he would always do.

Despite his complaining, there was no danger of him being deterred. Tamatoa had an unexpected capacity for commitment once his mind was set. Well, not that unexpected. This was the same crab monster who dedicated millennia to collecting all things shiny. Kanapu suspected that it was more stubbornness than anything, not that they minded much. They were stubborn too and did not want to be outdone by a glamorous, singing crab monster.

“Yes, unfortunately, it is near impossible to imagine life without you anymore,” Kanapu sneered as they nuzzled the side of his face. 

“Because I am _that_ amazing!” Tamatoa chimed, his grin wide and still full of barnacles.

“Amazingly foolish to sleep in the den of an electric eel despite knowing full well you may be shocked.”

His eyes gave a half-hearted roll before looking back Kanapu with a contemplative gaze with his beady, yet inquisitive eyes. “What were you dreaming about, anyway?”

“It is an easy guess,” said Kanapu in a dull, dead tone. 

Tamatoa groaned as the name came to his mind. “What do you say the chances are that we could take Ahi ourselves? Two on one.”

“That's hardly fair...” Kanapu grumbled as they placed their head on the rock below them. “And I mean that we would not stand much of a chance considering last time we both encountered them.”

“You are never gonna beat them with that attitude!” Tamatoa pouted. 

Kanapu looked up at the crab from where they rested their head. Their eyes were more forlorn than furious because they knew Tamatoa was right, for once. Ahi would always beat them so long as they let them and Kanapu didn't see themselves ever beating them.

They began to wonder what would happen if Ahi were to decide to finally kill them off? Ahi would surely go after Tamatoa, who would undoubtedly be nearby. And then the young Remuroa, his niece that was practically the eel’s adopted daughter at this point, would seek revenge on their behalf no doubt. And what about Ta’alili? They were far from helpless, but without Kanapu, Ahi would turn their wrath to them. The thought of Ta’alili having to suffer that fate made Kanapu’s guts twist into knots further.

They could care less about all the other monsters and humans alike that had succumbed to the dread eel’s reign of malice and misfortune. They couldn't even care that much about being designated as Ahi’s personal lightning rod of hate.

But Kanapu could not stand the thought of losing any of those three monsters to Ahi’s wrath. They were the only things they saw worth saving in the wretched world that is Lalotai and for that, Kanapu knew they would give their very life to protect them.

“We must kill Ahi,” Kanapu finally said.

“That’s better!” Tamatoa beamed.

“But we’ll need more than just us two,” Kanapu continued.

Tamatoa squinted at the eel. “Who else?”

“Well, I suspect Remuroa has valuable resources. She is well connected with other monsters in Lalotai and to defeat a blight such as Ahi, we will need all the help Lalotai can offer.”

He had a thoughtful expression on his face. “Can we use her as bait?”

“Don’t be rude,” Kanapu chided. “Besides, there are far better candidates for Ahi bait.”

Tamatoa tilted his head in thought. His face lit up in minor annoyance. “You better not be talking about me!”

“Not everything is about you,” said Kanapu flatly. “But who I had in mind, well...you have been acquainted with them.”

Tamatoa tensed up and his eyes twitched. “Oh no…”

“Just think, Tamatoa, if we could get rid of both of our problems. Two birds, one stone.”

“Why?!” He was up on all of his legs now in an aggressive stance.

“He has already killed a great eel. The only one to do so.”

“I got pretty close too, y’know!” he growled. “He’s nothing special!”

Kanapu’s eyes narrowed. “Yet, you ultimately spared me and now here we are. Ahi would not think twice about killing you.”

Tamatoa had nothing to refute that statement and the droop in his antennae showed he knew that too. “Fine! But I'm not going to be nice!” he grumbled. “I'll be the opposite in fact!” 

“Nor do I expect you to be kind,” Kanapu replied, their whiskers petting his face to soothe his unrest. “Just enough cooperation long enough to get rid of at least one of them. If he so much looks at you wrong, he will regret it. I will see to that, at least.”

The crab tried very hard to keep pouting, but Kanapu’s touch helped melt the bristling edge of his armor. Tamatoa settled himself back down beside the eel. He would trust that Kanapu had a solid plan. 

He couldn't trust that Maui wouldn’t ruin this for him too, however.


End file.
